FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a screening method useful for the detection of deep vein thrombosis.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a relatively common and extremely serious disorder that may be potentially fatal since it may lead to pulmonary emboli. DVT is common in patients who are immobilized for relatively long periods of time as a result of a medical or surgical illness, or patients with multiple trauma or malignant diseases. It also occurs commonly in persons who are immobilized or of limited mobility as a result of being paraplegic or quadriplegic and may also develop in otherwise healthy persons, after prolonged sitting or immobilization.
Clinical recognition of deep vein thrombosis generally relies on methods that are useful for a confirmation diagnosis of DVT, but are generally unsatisfactory for screening purposes for various reasons.